Wild Awake by Hilary T. Smith

Wild Awake by Hilary T. Smith

Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books

Release Date: May 28, 2013

Source: Edelweiss

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Things you earnestly believe will happen while your parents are away:

1. You will remember to water the azaleas.

2. You will take detailed, accurate messages.

3. You will call your older brother, Denny, if even the slightest thing goes wrong.

4. You and your best friend/bandmate Lukas will win Battle of the Bands.

5. Amid the thrill of victory, Lukas will finally realize you are the girl of his dreams.

 

Things that actually happen:

1. A stranger calls who says he knew your sister.

2. He says he has her stuff.

3. What stuff? Her stuff.

4. You tell him your parents won’t be able to—

5. Sukey died five years ago; can’t he—

6. You pick up a pen.

7. You scribble down the address.

8. You get on your bike and go.

9. Things . . . get a little crazy after that.*

*also, you fall in love, but not with Lukas.

Both exhilarating and wrenching, Hilary T. Smith’s debut novel captures the messy glory of being alive, as seventeen-year-old Kiri Byrd discovers love, loss, chaos, and murder woven into a summer of music, madness, piercing heartbreak, and intoxicating joy. (from Goodreads)

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I knew when I was coming to the end of this book that I would have a hard time putting my feelings into words. I can only say one thing for this book, it definitely lives up to its name, it was WILD!! The whole thing from beginning to end was just crazy but in a good way. There was no crazy sucky part in this book, it was just crazy good, the life in it just jumped off the pages at me and got me in a sort of buzz feeling, an electrifying feeling that just made me want to read all night, and just stay up and feel like I could do anything!

At first I didn’t think much of it but about a quarter in or so I started to see what this book was all about, I started to get Kiri a bit more and understand her feelings. Kiri was not like a lot of characters I’ve read before, she was unique, she was both a smart wonderful musician but with a punkie kind of wild side to her that came to surface when she discovered the truth about her sister’s death and found a new world to experience. That’s when the book became a bit insane to me, it moved very quickly and exciting. I’m really having a hard time explaining how this book made me feel, it was a good type of feeling though. I was captivated by the writing it felt personal, it felt like Kiri was there talking to me, like I was in her mind reading her deepest thoughts, her confusion, her struggles and emotions. Everything. It felt at times like I was invading someone’s personal space. It was a bit fascinating. I kept highlighting lines in this book. This was a favorite:

“It’s amazing how well you can get to know a person if you actually pay attention. People are like cities: We all have alleys and gardens and secret rooftops and places where daisies sprout between the sidewalk cracks, but most of the time all we let each other see is a postcard glimpse of a skyline or a polished square. Love lets you find those hidden places in another person, even the ones they didn’t know were there, even the ones they wouldn’t have thought to call beautiful themselves.”

Besides the great main character that we get in this novel we also get Skunk, who’s also not your typical love interest. I loved Skunk, I loved that I knew there was something special about him from the beginning, I loved to see that this was not your typical hot, washboard abs and good looks type of love interest. I loved that he was flawed and had serious issues of his own, and I just felt that Kiri and him were such a perfect match, I loved that they somehow fit together like puzzle pieces, that they understood each other so well and could eventually help each other. Besides these two characters I pretty much hated everyone else in this book. The people that surrounded Kiri made me so mad, I wanted to yell at someone or punch somebody in the face, it was so aggravating! Ugh!

This novel was just like nothing I’ve read before, it really felt very different and I hate not having the right words to express my true feelings for it. It was thought provoking, with pretty incredible writing, very vibrant main characters and heart wrenching all at the same time. It was just a crazy ride that made you want to hug Kiri tightly, one that will have you feeling all the emotions that she’s feeling, one that just leaves you hoping after the ending that even though she’s a fictional character, that she will find some sort of peace within herself. And I cannot stress this enough: The writing! The writing! The writing! HOLY WOW!!!

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Bittersweet by Sarah Ockler

Bittersweet by Sarah Ockler

Publisher: Simon Pulse

Released on January 3, 2012

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Once upon a time, Hudson knew exactly what her future looked like. Then a betrayal changed her life and knocked her dreams to the ground. Now she’s a girl who doesn’t believe in second chances, a girl who stays under the radar by baking cupcakes at her mom’s diner and obsessing over what might have been.
So when things start looking up and she has another shot at her dreams, Hudson is equal parts hopeful and terrified. Of course, this is also the moment a cute, sweet guy walks into her life—and starts serving up some seriously mixed signals. She’s got a lot on her plate, and for a girl who’s been burned before, risking it all is easier said than done.
It’s time for Hudson to ask herself what she really wants, and how much she’s willing to sacrifice to get it. Because in a place where opportunities are fleeting, she knows this chance may very well be her last....(from Simon & Schuster)

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Ahhh you guys! Bittersweet was just like its name says both bitter and sweet but I loved every minute of it. I started reading this book at the same time that I was reading another one on my kindle but once I got a couple of chapters into this one I immediately forgot about that Kindle book and just kept loyal to Bittersweet. I couldn’t put it down.

First of all let me say that Hudson has become a favorite character, she just grew on me almost immediately, I loved her and wanted to hug her and wanted to be her friend. She’s flawed, definitely not the perfect girl, she makes plenty of mistakes and bad choices in this book that had me shaking my head and wanting to shake her too but I still loved her regardless. I wanted her to have that future she wanted so much, outside of that small town and not in her mother’s diner but I also wanted her to find happiness with herself and her current life, there were so many great things in it, all surrounded by love not only just the romantic type but the family and friend type and boy did I want her to be able to see that and stop taking them for granted. But I also understood her feelings and her desperate need for something else, something better and felt the way she felt while making certain difficult choices in the book. What I’m trying to say is that she was relatable, I connected with Hudson easily, I had a huge smile on my face when things went well and was bitter when they didn’t. I felt very protective of her.

The only thing I hated in this novel was Hudson’s father. We get to see a few flashbacks of Hudson and him when she started skating and how he was such a big part of it and such a huge support for that passion that she had. I was so mad at him and what he did to them and how selfish he had become. UGH!!!  I wanted something awful to happen to him, good thing he wasn’t the only thing the book focused on.

Bittersweet had everything and more that I love in a book. Well written characters, romance, hot hockey boys, an awesome best friend that tells you the truth no matter what, fun scenes, plenty of angst, snow and ice skating and of course CUPCAKES!!! It’s really bad for your diet though, because with every turn to a new chapter which is titled with a new cupcake name and flavor I was dying to eat some baked goods. Or become a baker myself. It was torture! But well worth it. It left me with a huge smile on my face and all kinds of happy feelings. Bittersweet is not a lighthearted fluffy type of read but one full of soul, with a passionate character and a great story that will leave you smiling at the end.

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The End Games by T. Michael Martin

The End Games by T. Michael Martin

Publisher: HarperCollins

Release Date: May 7, 2013

Source: Edelweiss

Buy it:

Amazon | B&N | Indiebound

 

It happened on Halloween.

The world ended.

And a dangerous game brought it back to life.

Seventeen-year-old Michael and his five-year-old brother, Patrick, have been battling monsters in The Game for weeks.

In the rural mountains of West Virginia—armed with only their rifle and their love for each other—the brothers follow Instructions from the mysterious Game Master. They spend their days searching for survivors, their nights fighting endless hordes of "Bellows"—creatures that roam the dark, roaring for flesh. And at this Game, Michael and Patrick are very good.

But The Game is changing.

The Bellows are evolving.

The Game Master is leading Michael and Patrick to other survivors—survivors who don't play by the rules.

And the brothers will never be the same.

T. Michael Martin's debut novel is a transcendent thriller filled with electrifying action, searing emotional insight, and unexpected romance.(from HarperTeen)

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You might think to yourself while reading the synopsis that this might be just another same old zombie book, but let me tell you that you are WRONG! The End Games is not your typical zombie novel, it’s much more than that, and also it’s not gory like most of the others.

I was pretty excited to get to read this one since I’m a big fan of The Walking Dead and the season is now over. I was going through some zombie withdrawals and needed a good fix. Fortunately I was given the opportunity to read this one and was immediately sucked in. From the beginning the End Games gives you the feeling--thanks to its main character-- that you’re seeing everything as if you were watching someone play a video games. Michael, the MC is trying to not only survive with his little brother through this apocalyptic world but also cope with everything that is happening and is acting it all out as if it were a game that he and his brother were playing. It’s pretty exhilarating and I seriously found it very hard to put it down. I think the thought of having a little 5 year old running around with his teen brother to survive in a zombie-like creatures infested world made it so nail-biting. The relationship between those two was my favorite thing in this novel. I did not want to see anything happen to both of these kids and it had me at the edge of my seat the whole way through.

I liked that this book didn’t take place years after a zombie apocalypse but just a few days after. The reader is able to see the way life has changed and the toll it has taken on people psychologically. Also the zombie aspect was pretty interesting, they are called Bellows because they repeat everything they hear, like an echo, it was actually a bit hilarious at times and I did laugh several times while reading it. We also get to see them evolve, they don’t just stay the same old boring flesh eating zombies. I thought it was a very entertaining read, and even if you are not a zombie novel type of reader I think anybody would enjoy it. It’s a story about survival and two brothers struggling to stay together and staying sane amongst a world that is going crazy, not just because of zombies but also because of people.

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TTT: Top Ten Topics That Instantly Make Me Pick Up A Book

Top Ten Tuesday is a list feature that was created by The Broke and the Bookish. Each week they give you a different question or topic where you can answer by listing your top ten choices.

This week’s topic is: Top Ten Words/Topics That Instantly Make Me Buy/Pick Up A Book. 

 

 

1. Summer! - Usually any novel that takes place in the summer is an immediate add to my list type of books. It doesn’t even have to have a pretty cover.

2. Friendships! – I love novels that are big on friendships, either reunited ones or unbreakable type.

3. Sisters! – Just like with friendships, this topic has always gotten my attention. There’s not many novels out there with sister relationships, and I love them even better when we get both point of views.

4. Foreign Countries! – I’ve only been out of the US a couple of times and nowhere really fascinating so I love to live vicariously through the main character’s journey/life in a foreign country.

5. Hot and Brooding! – Yup!! I admit that these two words together in the same sentence or describing a guy in a synopsis usually get me to add that book to my list immediately. I do love a great hot and brooding love interest. ;-)

6. Contemporary! – I loooove contemporary YA and can’t really get enough of it, I have to read at least one of these a month or I’ll go into a reading slump without them.

7. Sarah Dessen! – Yeah, I know that’s not exactly a topic/word type of thing but whenever a novel is described as “fans of Sarah Dessen” it usually gets added to the list because I love this lady, her novels are some of my favorites.

8. Parallel Universe! – I haven’t seen many of these yet and that’s why I try to read as many as I can with this topic. I love the idea of parallel universes.

9. Amnesia! – I like this topic because it becomes a bit of a mystery to try to put all the puzzle pieces together along with the main character to figure out what happened and why that person has lost its memory. These are usually a lot of fun and hard to put down. 

10. Dystopian! – I’m a bit crazy about these novels. Even though I went through a phase when I couldn't stand to hear anymore about dystopians and they all started sounding the same to me, I gave them a chance again and now I can’t really get enough. The last few that I’ve read recently have all been unique and really unputdownable, hopefully this won’t stop anytime soon.

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Waiting on Wednesday – New Money

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Jill from Breaking the Spine that spotlights upcoming books that we are eagerly anticipating.

New Money by Lorraine Zago Rosenthal

Publisher: St. Martin’s Press

Release Date: September 10, 2013

Savannah Morgan had high hopes. She dreamed of becoming a writer and escaping her South Carolina town, where snooty debutantes have always looked down on her. But at twenty-four, she's become a frustrated ex-cheerleader who lives with her mother and wonders if rejecting a marriage proposal was a terrible mistake. Then Savannah's world is shaken when she learns the father she never knew is Edward Stone, a billionaire media mogul who has left Savannah his fortune on the condition that she move to Manhattan and work at his global news corporation. Putting aside her mother's disapproval, Savannah dives head first into a high-class life of wealth and luxury that is threatened by Edward's other children--the infuriatingly arrogant Ned and his sharp-tongued sister, Caroline, whose joint mission is to get rid of Savannah. She deals with their treachery along with her complicated love life, and she eventually has to decide between Jack, a smooth and charming real estate executive, and Alex, a handsome aspiring writer/actor. Savannah must navigate a thrilling but dangerous city while trying to figure out what kind of man her father truly was.
NEW MONEY is a keenly observed, fun yet wise peek into a world of privilege and glamour with a spirited and charming heroine at its center. (from Goodreads)

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I’m going to expand my horizons a little bit and start reading some adult contemporary. Not anything heavy but something fun and light and I thought this one would be a great one to add to my list of books I want to read. The main character is still very young, only 24 so it’s something I think I’ll definitely enjoy. Really excited about this one!

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